


The Once and Future Thing

by Zhana



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Comedy, F/F, I have no idea what I'm doing, I haven't decided if I want this to be fluff or angst yet, Romance, Time Travel, probably fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-07 07:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14075568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhana/pseuds/Zhana
Summary: Akko gets a rude awakening when she falls out of bed. No biggie, happens all the time, right? Except that she hasn't slept in this particular bed for a long, long time...





	1. Waking Up

Why was she so cold? And sore? And cramped? Grumbling tiredly as she was stirred from her oddly uncomfortable sleep, Akko clutched her pillow in her arms, burying her face in it as she tried to stretch her legs out. All that did was earn another weary groan as she felt her feet kicking against the footboard. That didn't seem right; usually she could flail her legs about without the slightest worry of hitting the bottom of her bed. Sighing to herself, she curled her legs back up, shifting to roll over onto her side; she let out a shriek as she promptly tumbled off the side of the bunk and onto the cold wooden floor.

"Owww, don't remember the edge being so close," she muttered to herself.

"Akko! Are you okay?" a worried voice came from up above her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just took a bit of a-" she began to say, a hand rubbing at her sore backside where she'd landed on it. Her movements stilled with her voice as she looked up; big red eyes blinking at the bespectacled girl looking down at her from the top bunk, "E-eh? Lotte? What're you doing here?!"

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be here?" Lotte asked, eyes shifting quizzically behind her glasses.

"Maybe she bumped her head when she fell out of bed and has amnesia?"

Akko perked up, letting out a little gasp at the deadpan voice from behind her. "Sucy too?!" she exclaimed, turning to face the pale girl who was rising to sit upright on her bed. "Why are the two of you- Hey wait, this isn't my apartment," she grumbled, finally moving to jump up off the floor.

"Apartment?" Lotte echoed questioningly, concern in her voice as she continued, "Maybe she really did lose her memory."

"Maybe she thinks she's back in Japan?" Sucy suggested.

"Don't Akko's parents have a house though?"

"Yeah they do, we have an apartment though. Oh, but I'm pretty sure we were actually in Paris this week?" Akko answered as she slowly spun around in the middle of the floor, looking around the dorm room in confusion and awe.

"You do? Paris?" Sucy's single visible eye narrowed warily as she moved to get up out of bed. "Just what are you on abo-" her voice abruptly cut out as she stood up beside Akko, glancing up and down her roommate quickly, "...Since when are you taller than me?"

"What? I'm not taller than y-" Akko turned to face her pink-haired roommate, blinking as she had to tip her head slightly downward to meet her eyes, rather than focus her gaze upward like they were both used to.

"Hey Lotte, do you notice anything else... different?" Sucy asked, not taking her eyes off Akko as she addressed their other roommate.

"D-Different? No she looks about the... actually, you're right," Lotte noticed, giving Akko a quick once over as Sucy had.

Besides seeming to have suddenly gained several inches in height, Akko's hairstyle seemed slightly different as well. Her asymmetrical bangs were the same, but the long strand of hair typically hanging to the left of her face was pulled back into a braid that passed over her ear. Her singular ponytail was longer too, while most of her hair that hung from the back was cut shorter than they were used to; only coming down to about her neck rather than past her shoulders. Her sleepwear was also slightly different from normal; still just an oversized white t-shirt and red underwear, but rather than her usual shorts instead all she had on were a pair of lacy red panties.

"When did you get your hair cut, Akko?" Lotte asked. "It looks nice!"

"Eh? I think it was like, a week ago already? But thanks!" she accepted the compliment with a happy grin up at Lotte, despite her confusion.

Akko turned back around when she felt a hand grabbing at the front of her shirt, looking to see Sucy running her thumb over the fabric.

"This is way nicer than anything I've ever known you to own. Where'd you get it?" she asked.

"Oh? E-Eheheh, well, it was a gift actually," Akko answered bashfully, blushing as she reached a hand over to rub the back of her head.

Sucy and Lotte shared a look, glancing over Akko's shoulder, both seeming totally lost at their roommate's odd behavior and appearance. Sucy ignored Akko as she began to mutter something about a weird dream, a hand going to cup her chin in thought.

"Hey, Akko," she spoke up after a few moments of relative silence, snapping her fingers in front of her to gain her attention. "What year is it?"

"Sucy, what are you-" Lotte began to ask before Akko cut her off with her answer.

"Twenty-Twenty-Seven, duh."

The number hung in the air as an almost eerie silence dominated the room. Lotte's glasses slid forward on her nose, dumbstruck, while a shark-toothed grin slowly stretched across Sucy's face as Akko kept looking back and forth between them.

"Why does it matter what year it is in a dre-Ow!" Akko jumped when Sucy suddenly pinched her arm, frowning at her as she rubbed the irritated spot on her arm, "What'd you do that f-" her eyes widened as realization sunk in. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

* * *

 

She felt so warm. Cozy. Relaxed. Comfortable. Safe. She could _feel_ the beaming smile on her face as she curled up, snuggling deeper into the plush mattress cradling her body. Akko never wanted to get up; she couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a nice sleep! It was pure contentment. A wonderfully cushiony down pillow under her head, her body snug between the luxurious mattress and unbelievably soft sheets, gentle arms wrapped around her middle, holding her close to the warmth of a soft form curled up against her back. A little giggle passed through her lips as she felt warm breath tickle across her neck, a pair of soft lips tenderly caressing the warmed flesh with a faint kiss...

Arms? Someone holding her from behind? Lips on her neck? Wait, none of that was right.

Akko's eyes snapped open in an instant, a shrill cry filling the air as she outright launched herself from the bed she'd moments ago wished never to leave. Flying off the edge, she crashed to the floor below in a heap, a leg still half-stuck in the sheets as she hung over the side of the bed.

"Akko! What's wrong?!" a worried voice called out.

Pushing herself up on her elbows with a groan, Akko reached a hand to rub where the back of her head had impacted the floor. Glancing around, she realized very quickly that she wasn't in her dorm room. First of all, she'd managed to fling herself out of what looked to be a very large individual bed, rather than the bunk that she shared with Lotte; no sign of Sucy's lone bed at all. For that matter, the room she was in seemed a bit larger -not to mention far nicer- than her dorm room. The floor was carpeted, which had cushioned her fall somewhat, and glancing behind her she saw glass double-doors covered by silken curtains; just able to make out what seemed like a balcony beyond them. She could see what looked like a dresser set against the wall a couple feet from the foot of the bed, but couldn't make out anything else of the room on account of being slumped over the side of said bed, half on the floor.

Hearing movement, she looked back up to the bed in time to see a head of blonde hair streaked by darker, green-tinted locks peek out over the edge, quickly followed by a pair of concerned blue eyes.

"D-Diana?!" Akko gaped, eyes wide, utterly shocked by her apparent bed-mate.

"Are you alright down there? What happened to give you such a scare?" she asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind an ear as she gazed down at her; brow furrowed and eyes narrowed, flicking over Akko in search of any apparent injury.

"Uhhh... y-yeah, I-I'm fine, just uh... bumped my head; barely even feel it," Akko quickly tried to stammer out a response, attempting to hide her total disorientation.

"The bump or your whole head?" Diana asked with a soft chuckle, her expression relaxing.

Akko was unable to stop a blush from tinting her cheeks. Had Diana just cracked a joke? That almost seemed more wrong than her waking up in the same bed as her. _That_ was still a rather glaring oddity though.

"And my other question?" Diana asked more seriously, reaching down to grab Akko's wrist, pulling her back up onto the bed with her. "Why did you suddenly decide that the floor seemed like better company than I?"

"That's... erm... I mean, I'm pretty sure..." Akko tried and failed to stammer out an answer, finding herself distracted as she was pulled up in front of Diana.

Something about the other girl seemed _different_ in a way that Akko couldn't quite place. She'd always had a reputation as Luna Nova's queen; highest standing in every way: grades, popularity, looks, everything. But looking at her now, dressed in nothing that Akko could identify beyond a sheer blue nightgown, she seemed somehow _breathtaking_. "Girl" didn't seem appropriate; her features looked more defined, kindness and concern practically radiated off of her, and unlike the almost smug sense of self-importance Akko generally associated with the heiress, her mannerisms, the way she teased her even while checking on her, she gave off a quiet, mature confidence. Everything about her just seemed more _womanly_.

"I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming," Akko finally managed to finish her sentence after swallowing heavily.

Diana blinked in surprise, deep blue eyes regarding Akko silently for a moment, before her lips upturned into a warm, gentle smile.

"You said the same thing around, oh, a week ago, I think it was?" she told her with another small chuckle.

Akko's eyes went wide as she leaned in, pressing their lips together before she'd even realized what was happening. Time seemed to freeze for her, her terribly confused thoughts grinding to an abrupt halt, hooked on that first faint contact, struggling to comprehend what was even happening. It wasn't just kindness or concern. She could feel with absolute certainty that this was someone who loved her, _adored_ her even.

"I'm going to go take a shower. You get a little more rest, and tell me if that bump on your head acts up, alright?" Diana told her after breaking from the kiss. Moving to climb off the opposite side of the bed, she walked through one of two doors in the corner Akko hadn't been able to see before when she was on the floor.

She apparently hadn't noticed Akko's totally stunned state; her entire body frozen in place, eyes wide as dinner plates, mouth gaping open as her mind struggled to process the sensation of soft, warm lips fit against her own. The sound of the shower turning on in the adjacent room finally snapped her out of her trance, shaking her head roughly from side to side to try and regain some feeling. A hand gingerly crept up, lightly touching her lips as she stared at the spot where Diana had been on the bed moments ago. Her eyes flicked up to what she assumed was the bathroom door, before she suddenly cried out, flopping back onto the (still totally undeniably super-cozy) bed.

"What was that?!" she practically screamed, rolling from side to side on the sheets, trying to make some sense of things. "She kissed me?! Diana kissed me?! Why would Diana kiss me?! Wait, this is a dream, right? Does that mean that I _want_ Diana to kiss me? No! No of course not, definitely not... probably not...? Maybe Sucy fed me something; payback for that time I had to run around inside her head," Akko sat up, legs dangling off the edge she'd fallen from previously as she muttered to herself, trying to make sense of things.

And that was how Diana found her minutes later when she emerged from the bathroom, Akko not even noticing, lost in thought as she was. Frowning with concern, Diana walked around to the other side of the bed, managing to snap Akko out of her thoughts when she spoke up.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" she asked, staring into Akko's deep red eyes worriedly as she looked up to meet her gaze. Reaching a hand out, she gently brushed the back of her hand against Akko's forehead, humming thoughtfully, "Well you don't seem to have a fever at least."

"Y-Yeah, like I said, I'm fine, I just... umm..." Akko's first impulse was to lie, deflect Diana's concern until she could try and figure out just what was going on. But she was so utterly lost, so totally out of her depth, so completely unable to even comprehend this scenario, she didn't know what to say at all.

Diana had apparently woken up completely with her shower, being considerably more alert now. Her eyes narrowed on the clearly nervous girl seated on the bed, noticing now that something about her seemed _off_. Her behavior was concerning, yes, but her appearance seemed odd as well. She seemed smaller, both physically and in how she was carrying herself, as well as looking a tad messier than usual too; longer, more unkempt hair and rougher, dirtier clothes. Finally a theory clicked into place in Diana's mind, a bit of panic settling into her narrowed eyes as she knelt down, placing her hands on Akko's shoulders, staring firmly into her eyes.

"Akko, what year is it?" she asked, her tone as firm and direct as her piercing gaze.

"Eh? Y-Year?" Akko jumped a little bit at the sudden shift in Diana's demeanor, only held in place by the hands on her shoulders. "It's uh... it's Twenty-Seventeen, r-right?"

* * *

 

"I'm in the past. I'm in the past. I'm in the past. Why am I in the past? How am I in the past? I'm in the past..."

Sucy sat on her bed, Lotte seated beside her, the both of them watching the aged-up Akko roll back and forth on the floor of their room, muttering to herself.

"S-Shouldn't we stop her?" Lotte asked.

"Give it five more minutes," Sucy answered with a shrug, not taking her eyes off the older woman tumbling around on the floor.

"...why?"

"Because this is actually really entertaining," Sucy replied with a small snicker.

Her fun was cut short when Akko leapt up to her feet in a single, practiced movement.

"Alright, I got it!" she declared, lightly tapping a fist onto the palm of her other hand. "I'll ask Chariot! She'll... _probably_ have some advice or insight."

Lotte and Sucy both looked up as Akko jumped to her feet, Sucy's eyes narrowing on her at her declaration.

"Chariot? As in Shiny Chariot? Ten years later and you're _still_ obsessed with her?"

"Sucy..." Lotte laughed weakly at her roommate's utter, almost horrified, disbelief.

Akko meanwhile just looked down at the two of them, one eyebrow quirked up slightly, "Well yeah, why wouldn't I ask her? After all she's-"

The apparent time-traveller slapped a hand over her mouth, cutting herself off. Assuming it was exactly ten years in the past, that would mean it was still November, a couple months yet before she had discovered that her childhood idol was masquerading as her mentor. She distantly recalled the identity of Ursula Callistis, stopping herself from revealing her secret to her yet-unawares roommates. That's what she was supposed to do, right? Try and avoid altering the timeline or something? That's how it was in all the movies anyway. Not like she had anything else to go off.

Sucy spoke up after a moment of silence, cutting into Akko's thoughts, "You make it sound like you actually know her. Did you finally get to meet her at some point in the future?"

"Uh... y-yeah, I did," Akko answered a bit hesitantly. Revealing that much should be fine, right?

"That's wonderful Akko! I'm so happy for you," Lotte said sincerely.

"Yeah, hip-hip-hooray, good for you," Sucy decidedly less-so. "So, where is she?"

"Eh?"

"If you know her in the future, and were going to ask her for help now, you must know where she is, right?"

"Ah, ri~ght... h-hehe, guess I sorta forgot about the 'stuck in the past' bit for a second there," Akko hoped Sucy would buy her deflection.

Her one-time roommate quirked a brow, eying her suspiciously now, "You forgot? After muttering it to yourself on the floor for almost ten minutes?" Apparently that was too much to ask.

"Y-Yes?" Never hurt to keep trying. "Let's see... umm... oh! Right, yeah, how about Professor Ursula! Yeah, I'll go and ask her instead! Bye-bye!"

Akko turned on her heel, rushing to the door to try and escape the questioning before she gave something away (which would be bad?).

"Wait, Akko!" Lotte called out, stopping her in her tracks.

"Y-Yeah Lotte?" Akko glanced back tentatively, her hand inches from the door.

"Don't you think you should get dressed first?" she suggested while Sucy continued to chuckle to herself.

Akko blinked, glancing down at herself, blushing when she realized she'd almost stormed into the halls of Luna Nova dressed in just a t-shirt and her underwear.

"R-Right, good call," she nodded her thanks, beginning to pat down her body. "Uhh, anyone got a wand I could borrow?"

"Oh, right, you probably won't be able to fit into any of your clothes here," Lotte realized, standing to offer Akko her wand.

"Mhmm, thanks Lotte!" Akko thanked her, taking and extending the magic wand. " _Metamorphie Vestesse!_ " she cried, the tip of the wand glowing green before she was engulfed in a burst of smoke.

As the smoke cleared, rather than her underwear, Akko was now dressed in a pair of leg-hugging blue jeans and a stylish brown jacket over her shirt.

"There, much better!" she cheered, now dressed, again turning to head out the door.

"Bit conspicuous, isn't it?"

Only to again be stopped, this time by Sucy's voice, "What do you mean conspicuous?"

"Well, you don't want to advertise that you're from the future, do you?"

Akko's eyes shifted upwards as she hummed in thought, letting out a sigh after a moment, "Yeah, guess you're right. _Metamorphie Vestesse!"_

When the smoke cleared this time, Akko's jacket was replaced by a purple vest over a clean dress shirt rather than her previous loose t-shirt, her blue jeans replaced by a matching purple miniskirt.

"Geez, this really takes me back," she said with a fond laugh, shifting around in place as she glanced over herself now dressed in the Luna Nova uniform. "So nostalgic... hmm, maybe I should try doing some kinda schoolgirl roleplay when I get back?" she mused, eyelids half-closing while she grinned, a hand trailing down to toy with the edge of her skirt.

"S-Schoolgirl roleplay?!" Lotte exclaimed, turning a deep shade of red behind her glasses.

Sucy for her part just lifted her solitary visible brow, letting out another small laugh, "and just who would that be f-" Before she could finish her taunt, Sucy's eye focused in on something she had somehow missed before about the older Akko. Now that she'd noticed it, she was actually rather annoyed at herself for managing not to before. "Akko, what's that? On your hand."

Akko blinked, looking from checking her uniform out back up to her roommates. Pulling her hand up from her skirt, she looked at it, trying to discern what Sucy could be pointing out.

The only thing that she could see that could be noteworthy would be, "What, my wedding ring?"

* * *

 

Akko sat quietly on a couch, kicking her legs back and forth in front of her as she waited. The couch was set against a half-wall in the middle of the room, a desk against its opposite side. Beyond that there was a small kitchenette built into the far wall behind her, where Diana currently stood; her fingers rapping against the countertop as the scent of the tea she was brewing filled the room.

Turning from looking over at the blonde behind her, Akko eyed the television in front of her; suspended among an artistically designed set of shelves placed against the wall, the door to the bedroom on the right side of the same wall. Getting up, she grabbed the remote resting on a shelf just below the bottom edge of the television, the screen soon flickering to life before her. Browsing through a few channels, she quickly came to a simple realization: she had no idea what anyone was saying on any of them. She couldn't even read what language the text on some news channels said!

"What the heck? What're they saying? What language _is_ that?" Akko muttered to herself, trying to place the unfamiliar sounds and words.

"It's French."

Akko blinked, turning away from the screen to find that Diana was now standing just behind her, a pair of teacups held in her hands. Taking one that was offered to her, Akko mumbled her thanks, blowing at the steaming cup as she brought it up to her lips, taking a careful little sip. Her eyes widened in surprise at the familiar flavour coursing over her tongue as she pulled the cup away.

"Hey, this is my Japanese plum tea!" she exclaimed in recognition. "Didn't I make this for you once?"

"You..." Diana looked as though she wanted to correct something Akko had said, like an error on a test. She didn't though, her expression settling into a gentle smile, "Yes, you did."

"Didn't realize you liked it that much," Akko commented with a smile as she took another sip.

Diana maintained her warm smile, giving a small nod, "Yes, I found it delightful." She took another sip after replying, humming happily at the taste.

The two stood in silence, sipping their tea quietly for a few moments. Akko again found her eyes glancing over Diana; blushing when their eyes briefly met, finding that Diana had been examining her in kind. Diana had always been taller than her, but it was especially noticeable now. In turn, Diana stifled a small giggle as she noted she had to look further down to meet Akko's eyes than she ever had before.

"So," Akko began, breaking the silence, "this is the future? And you really think I'm from the past?"

"Yes," Diana answered with a nod, humming in thought briefly. "There are several possibilities I can think of, and while that one is perhaps not the _most_ plausible, it seems the easiest hypothesis to work with."

"Well, what else could it be?" Akko asked curiously.

"Rather than actually being displaced in time, there's the possibility that your mind and body have simply been reverted to give the appearance of such, for one," Diana explained. "This is all pure conjecture, of course. But whether in actuality, or simply by appearance, the fact is you're ten years out of place."

"Right... ten years huh?" Akko turned to glance out the window, eying some of the buildings through the sheer curtains. Looking back to Diana, she briefly examined her in the robe she had been wearing since getting out of the shower, before her eyes fell to the cup clutched in her hand. Blinking, she found her eyes drawn towards a pair of rings wrapped around one finger. A simple gold band nestled up in front of a more elaborate ring; a large, brilliant diamond set in-between a smaller ruby and sapphire. Diana's focus had left Akko by now; murmuring to herself, oblivious to the girl staring at her finger.

"If it is just your body and mind which have been reverted, I may be able to reverse the effects with some study," she said, more to herself than Akko; sounding like she was thinking out loud. "But if you have actually been moved through time... time travel is a true enigma, I'm not even sure where I'd begin..."

"Is that your wedding ring?"

Diana was snapped from her thoughts by the sudden question, blinking at Akko as she processed what she'd asked. Glancing down, she moved her teacup from one hand to the other, turning her hand to eye the pair of rings slid over her finger.

"Y-yes?" she replied a bit uncertainly, seemingly cautious of the interest that Akko had taken in her jewellery.

"Wow! Congratulations!" she exclaimed, seeming to regain some of her trademark energy that had been stifled by her bizarre situation. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

Diana blinked, raising her gaze back up to meet Akko's big red eyes, eagerly awaiting an answer, "Guy?"

"Huh, come to think of it, if you're married, why were you in bed with me?" she questioned, eyes glancing up at the ceiling in thought. "I mean, I guess it's not that weird for friends to bunk up together, guess it just seems weird to me cause we're not that close in like, my time," she mused, continuing along with her train of thought, "but then, this place, wherever it is, seems really, really nice! Shouldn't you be here with uh... whoever you're married to, instead of me? Though I guess it could be that I wasn't here in the future and just randomly got put here when I time travelled or whatever... oh! But you didn't seem surprised I was here, so I guess that's wr-"

"Akko!"

Diana's eye had been twitching more and more in annoyance as the younger girl before her rambled on, until she finally cut her off, snapping her name to call her attention. Akko quickly stopped talking, practically standing at attention when her name was called, her eyes returning to looking back into Diana's. Diana's elegant, sapphire-blue eyes, that were now staring deeply into her own, conveying some mix of annoyance and disbelief. Whatever it was that had Diana so perturbed, Akko could _feel_ it coming from the older woman's gaze, willing her to try and understand something she seemed too exasperated to simply tell her.

Averting her eyes again, Akko reached a hand up, tapping on her chin as she thought over what she'd just said, and all that had occurred in the short while she'd been in the future.

"Oh," she said at last, returning her eyes to Diana's as the pieces finally clicked into place. A moment of silence passed, before her face lit up bright red as she let out a gasp, stumbling back a step, "Oh!"

Diana, slouching forward slowly as her gaze had bore into Akko, closed her eyes, hanging her head as she let out a deep sigh. "Took you long enough," she said, righting her posture.

"Wait, seriously? Really? You and me?!" Akko exclaimed, while Diana simply resumed staring at her, wearing the same weary frown. "We're married?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I spent like, two months trying to get started on a New Years-themed sequel to my previous Christmas fic, but wasn't getting very far. Then this idea came to me and after putting it off for a bit, decided to switch gears and strike while the iron was hot. Not really sure where I'm gonna go with it, but hopefully it's something fun to keep me in-practice that people can enjoy!


	2. Really Bad at This

"Is it really that hard to believe that I'm married?" Akko grumbled as she walked down the hall towards the Astronomy Tower, Sucy and Lotte following close behind.

"Yes," there wasn't an ounce of hesitation to Sucy's response, delivered with her standard deadpan.

"Sucy..." Lotte chided, frowning at her together with Akko. "It's just that you... never really seemed that interested in guys or a relationship or... anything that wasn't becoming like Shiny Chariot really," she explained, smiling weakly as she looked back up at the adult version of their roommate.

"Well, yeah? I mean after all, I did wind up-" Akko had to slap her hand over her mouth again, looking forward away from her inquisitive former roommates. She really needed to be more careful about not letting anything slip, because that would turn out badly, right?

Part of her was annoyed at the implication of "guys" in that sentence, given that -however unexpectedly- a lack of interest in that regard was pretty accurate. But then, maybe that assumption would work in her favor? The farther away from the truth their assumptions led them, the less likely she was to blurt out something she shouldn't! And really, loathe though she was to admit it, she could use the extra leeway in that regard.

"Ahah, I uh- I guess things change?" she said, forcing a laugh as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Even though you're still all about Shiny Chariot, twenty years after she was even a thing?"

"Ha~h," another forced laugh, "well, not everything, of course," Sucy just was not going to give her a break, was she?

Sucy gave a noncommittal little hum in response, the three walking in silence for a few moments before she spoke up again. "So, who did you wind up tying the knot with?"

"Now that would be telling!" she wasn't going to slip up quite _that_ easily, "Shouldn't give away too much about the future."

"Why not?"

"Eh? Umm... err... y-you know, I wouldn't want to cause like, a paradox or something."

"This isn't a movie, Akko."

"Yeah, well, unless you can point me to some research journal all about magical exploration into time travel, it's all I've got to go on. Better safe than sorry!"

"Fair point. 'Better safe than sorry', though?" Sucy snickered at the quote, "Are you sure you're really Akko?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akko huffed, puffing out her cheeks indignantly.

"That 'leap first, ask questions never' would be a more appropriate motto for you."

"With age comes wisdom," Akko countered simply, "And I guess Diana's probably rubbed off on me some." She found herself unable to keep the fondness from her tone as she thought of her wife.

"Diana?" a shift in tone that one mischievous potion-brewer had definitely taken notice of, "Why would Diana rub off on you? Barely a day goes by without you complaining about her."

Akko stiffened up, halting for a step before willing herself to keep walking. She really could not afford even one little slip-up with Sucy around, could she?

"Well that's... I mean I uh... things change and umm..." she really needed to think of a better excuse. Think, think, it was ten years ago exactly, right? November, which meant it was just after October, which meant Samhain wasn't too long ago. Her first Samhain at Luna Nova, where she'd done her Sacrifice Show. Yes, yes! She could work with that, "I guess I started to take what she said more to heart after Samhain? She's the one who got me to take it seriously, after all."

Sucy gave another little hum, seemingly placated by the explanation, for the moment at least.

"She did seem like she was looking out for you, in her own way," Lotte commented.

"Yeah, she was," Akko agreed, again sounding far more fond of Luna Nova's ace than her roommates were used to. Dangit, she really needed to reel that in, she could practically _feel_ Sucy raising her lone visible eyebrow as her suspicions grew.

By now they'd arrived at the spiraling staircase that led up to Chariot's -no, Ursula's- chambers. Pausing at the first step, Akko glanced back at her young friends trailing after her, both looking at her curiously as she stopped.

"Uh... you two can probably just head to class; wouldn't want you to be late on my account?"

"Why? We all got woken up early by you crashing onto the floor, classes don't even start for another half-hour," Sucy pointed out. Not one single, solitary break. Not one.

"That's... that's right, heh," so much for that excuse. Maybe she should just try the truth? "Listen, I might have to reveal some future-stuff to her, and like I already said it's probably best not to do too much of that with too many people."

"Ha~h? So you're fine with telling Professor Ursula things, but not us?" Sucy groaned out; the slight variation in her tone nonetheless managing to convey her feeling of insult.

"...yes?" Akko replied, albeit rather weakly.

"Come on Sucy, that's fair," Lotte chimed in, giving her almost unusually curious roommate a light swat on her arm.

Sucy grimaced at her, before letting out a begrudging sigh of acceptance; Ursula was an authority figure, and far more experienced in all manner of magic. It made sense to trust her with more, given she might actually be able to help.

"We'll see you later Akko, good luck! I hope Professor Ursula will be able to help you," Lotte encouraged, moving to continue down the hall, "and we'll tell the teachers that you aren't feeling well or something, alright?"

"Thanks Lotte," Akko replied with a sincere smile, raising her hand to wave goodbye. "And that's probably a good idea; would be weird if I suddenly did super-amazing in all my classes back then. Uh, now?"

"And she can do magic now too; will wonders never cease?" Sucy droned, unable to resist one last jab as she followed along after Lotte, earning a scowl from Akko as she snickered.

Akko waited until they were down the hall a ways before turning to ascend the spiral staircase of the Astronomy Tower, her scowl turning to a smile almost immediately after she lost sight of Lotte and Sucy. That was actually a lot of fun. A tad stressful because of the lingering concern of some potential paradox or unraveling of reality, but fun. It had been a while since she'd bickered with Sucy, or chatted with Lotte. Years since they'd roomed together. Flashing back to some of the adventures they'd already had, and would have over the course of the next several years; she hadn't realized with the natural progression of time just how much she'd missed it. She'd have to call them up once she got back to her own time, see if they could schedule in a get-together soon.

And hope that Sucy didn't have anything particularly nasty she'd want her to help test. Some things never changed alright...

Laughing a tad worriedly at the thought as she ascended the stairs, she was soon standing at the lone door at the very top of the tower. A wave of nostalgia hit her as she found herself standing in front of the familiar wooden surface, a small circular window at roughly eye-level allowing one to look in or out of the room beyond; were it not for a covering currently in place on the other side at least. How many times had she stood here during her years at Luna Nova? Actually not that many, she supposed; it was far more common for her to just barge right on in to Chariot's room.

Smiling warmly at her own recollections, Akko could faintly hear the sounds of movement coming from the other side of the door; Chariot no doubt finishing collecting supplies and material for the day ahead. Taking a calming breath to steady herself, Akko raised her hand and knocked, the sound of her knuckles hitting against the wood echoing through the staircase.

The faint noises of movement she heard briefly grew in volume, the early morning call likely startling the teacher in the midst of her preparations, causing a small commotion.

"Coming!" she heard a shout, muffled through the door.

A moment later, Akko's smile faltered as a thought occurred to her. She had no idea how exactly she'd explain her predicament to her mentor. How much could she say? Would she believe the situation as easily as Sucy and Lotte had? Should she prove it by revealing she knew Chariot's identity? That would be fine, right? It was _her_ identity after all.

She was snapped from her slightly-panicked thought process when the door in front of her cracked open. The frankly nervous-looking visage of Ursula Callistis leaned around the edge to see who was knocking on her door so early, her red eyes obscured by the reflection of her glasses.

"Oh, Akko! Good morning," she greeted her student with a smile, Akko briefly able to see the surprise in her eyes as she adjusted her posture, opening the door wider. "What can I do for you this morn-" she paused, glancing up and down the girl in front of her. Raising a hand, she gestured between the two of them; first at roughly the level of her chest, then higher at about eye level, "Did you get taller?"

"Umm... that's... yeah, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Akko admitted, scratching at her cheek with a chuckle, "may I come in?"

Ursula blinked behind her glasses, taken a bit by surprise, "ah, of course, please come in," she moved to the side, letting her student walk into her room. How odd, normally Akko would just barrel right in if she had something she needed to talk about. "Did you try a transformation spell and get stuck?" she asked, shutting the door behind them.

"N~o~t exactly," Akko muttered, tapping on her chin in thought, glancing around at nothing.

"Alright... ah! Would you like some tea?" the teacher asked, hoping that it might help her student articulate her thoughts.

"Oh! That'd be great!" Akko exclaimed happily, smiling as she nodded her head, "I haven't had a cup yet this morning; didn't even realize how off I'd feel without it."

"Hmm? I didn't realize you liked a cup of tea in the morning, Akko," Ursula commented, not noticing her cringe as she went to prepare a kettle for them.

"Ah, y-yeah, kind of a... recent thing, I guess?" Yeah, she was definitely going to cause some kind of temporal disaster at this rate. Sure, having grown used to a cup of tea in the morning wasn't that big a detail, but it was probably only a matter of time before she let something more slip.

"Did you want any cream or sugar in it?"

"Mmm, three sugars please."

Nodding, Ursula went to work preparing the tea for them, using magic to help speed along the process. As she prepared their cups, she found herself glancing back at Akko occasionally. Akko, who was sitting quite patiently, seemingly lost in her thoughts as she waited on the tea. Akko, who would normally be rambling on, talking out loud as her mind leapt from thought to thought; most of them coming back around to her old stage show in some way or another. It was, in a way, disconcerting, yet not as much as it probably should have been. She didn't feel like her student's current behavior was particularly worrisome, curiously enough. Stranger still was that she almost didn't feel like she was hosting a student, but rather a... friend; someone her own age even.

Pushing the silly thought aside, she finished preparing the tea, walking back over to hand Akko hers.

It took a moment for her to snap out of her thoughts, reaching out to take the cup when she noticed it being offered to her with a "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ursula replied, taking her seat facing Akko. "So, what can I do for you this morning? Why the growth-spurt?"

Akko hummed, sipping her tea quietly, her eyes scanning around the room in thought before returning to Ursula briefly. She then looked down at the tea cup as she pulled it away from her lips, which were contorted into a grimace.

"Sorry, is it bad? I'm not terribly good at brewing tea I'll admit," Ursula said with a weak, self-depreciating chuckle.

"I think I remember Croix saying the same thing; you cook, she brews," Akko commented with a soft laugh of her own as she set her cup down.

Which was when she noticed her former teacher abruptly stiffening up in front of her. Her own body similarly flinched and froze as she remembered, oh right, Chariot and Croix would be at the height of their antagonism around now. Slowly, Akko lifted her gaze from where she'd put her tea down, wincing at the look of total shock on Ursula's face; mouth gaping in a silent gasp, glasses slid down her nose to fully reveal her widened red eyes.

"...I am really bad at this."

* * *

 

Akko focused on the feeling of the warm water cascading over her as she stood in a glass-enclosed shower; Diana having told her she should probably go freshen up while she made some calls. Akko vaguely wondered just who she was calling; someone who could help with her predicament, perhaps? She wasn't actually putting much thought into wondering though. No, her mind was far more occupied by the revelation she'd gotten before being told to wash up.

She was married to Diana Cavendish. Or would be, at some point in the next ten years. How had that happened? Sure, her opinion of Diana had improved marginally in the months she'd known her, but the thought of them getting _that_ close seemed inconceivable. She didn't even think she swung that way! Okay, she'd never really put much thought into it; her fantasies almost exclusively revolved around her becoming an amazing witch, the next Shiny Chariot! Romantic fantasies were few and far between.

When they did occur to her, fleeting though they were, they generally involved a guy and a girl. She supposed she could call them normal? Princely knight slays the dragon, saves the princess, happily ever after; like any number of fairy tales, books, shows and movies liked to tell. That kind of thing. Now that she thought about it though, her? A princess? Damsel in distress? The thought made her let out a comical snort as she massaged shampoo into her hair. Now that she thought about it, she'd much rather be the prince; boldly storm into the dragon's lair with an enchanted blade in hand, rescuing the kidnapped princess in her damaged blue dress, wrapping an arm around her protectively, feeling her arms wrap around her neck in turn-

Okay, maybe it wasn't so surprising, now that she _was_ actually putting a moment of thought into such a fantasy. That was... neat. Still though, _Diana_?!

Turning off the shower, Akko shook some of the water from her hair as the warm cascade over her body stopped. Opening the glass door, she stepped out into the washroom, grabbing a towel off the countertop to set about drying herself off. Changing into a fresh t-shirt and some shorts she noticed laid out for her on the bed, she soon wandered back out into the living room, spotting Diana seated at the desk behind the half-wall. She was talking on the phone, looking to have changed out of her robe and into a blue t-shirt. Akko also noticed two trays loaded with an absolutely delicious looking breakfast spread on the coffee table, a mouth-watering aroma filling the room.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to postpone tonight's show," she heard Diana saying to whoever was on the other end of the phone, gesturing with her chin to the trays of food when she noticed Akko walking out of the bedroom. "No, I don't know when she'll recover."

Akko didn't need any further encouragement, instantly taking a seat on the couch, admiring the spread laid out before her. Each tray had a couple glasses of juice, a crispy-looking croissant, perfectly done toast,  bowls of cut fruit and whipped cream, and a small stack of crepes sprinkled with powdered sugar. Licking her lips at the spread before her, Akko went about preparing herself a crepe, taking a spoon to add some fruit and cream to the top of the stack.

As she prepared her breakfast, Akko continued listening in on Diana's phone call, rather curious about what she was talking about, and with whom.

"No, I am not a 'magic super doctor' and no, I cannot just 'wave my wand and make her better'. W-what? No, no I'm sorry but you cannot come and see her. She's... she's terribly contagious. Excuse me? Of course I should, I'm her wife! 'In sickness and in health', ring a bell? Listen, I appreciate your concern; I'll be sure to keep you up-to-date if there's any improvement. Yes, I've already postponed my own appointments as well. To when? I... I had my next consultation pushed back to Saturday. No, I don't expect her to be better by then, but I've a clinic on Friday which I couldn't cancel, so... No, no I'm sure she'll be fine on her own for a couple hours, you don't need to do that, just... again, thank you for your concern, I'll call with an update soon, alright? Yes. Yes, thank you. Yes I'll be sure to tell her."

Glancing over her shoulder occasionally as she prepared her first crepe, Akko watched Diana's expressions change between looks as she conversed with whoever was on the other end of the phone. Mostly though, she just looked exasperated, hanging the phone up with a heavy sigh once their talk had concluded.

"Who was that?" Akko asked, biting into her crepe as Diana walked around to join her on the couch.

"Your man-" Diana began, reaching out to start making up a crepe for herself, stilling as she seemed to reconsider her answer, looking at Akko thoughtfully.

"My man?" Akko mumbled through a mouth half-full of fruit and pastry, continuing after she'd swallowed. "I thought we were a couple?" she teased, grinning playfully as she took a sip of juice.

Diana frowned, letting out a small huff at the wordplay. "Your manager," she corrected, resuming preparing her meal.

"Ooooh. Wait, why do I have a manager?" Akko wondered, taking another bite of her breakfast.

"I think it's best if I don't answer that. I shouldn't have even started telling you who it was," Diana told her.

"Why?" Akko asked, again talking through a mouthful of food.

"Because it's probably best that you don't know too much about your future," Diana replied before taking a bite of her own crepe.

"I guess that makes sense," Akko mumbled in agreement before swallowing. They ate in silence for a few moments, Akko actually swallowing before speaking up again, "Why'd you tell me we were married then?"

Diana stopped chewing for a moment, finishing her mouthful of food properly before turning to answer. Akko flinched back from the withering look the older woman gave her as she answered, "Because when you woke up we were cuddled together, sharing a bed. That you didn't make the connection immediately after noticing my ring is, frankly, concerning."

Akko's cheeks swelled out as she pouted, "You don't need to be such a jerk about it!" she huffed, beginning to prepare another crepe.

Diana regarded Akko silently for a moment, "I apologize. That was uncalled for; I'm sure it must all be quite a lot for you to take in. I shouldn't criticize you for not readily assuming what is simple fact to me."

Akko blinked, looking back up to see Diana's expression had softened considerably, looking genuinely remorseful.

"You're apologizing to me?" she questioned, raising a doubtful eyebrow.

One of Diana's eyebrows quirked up in turn, "Is that strange?"

"Well... yeah!" Akko replied with a shrug, gesturing at nothing in-particular with her hands. "I'd expect like, a lecture on being more observant or something!"

"A lecture, really?"

"Yeah! Or like, how it's unbecoming of a proper witch to be so slow!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing!"

Akko again blinked, a bit bewildered as Diana raised a hand to her mouth, laughing softly at the teenager's outburst.

"Was I really so terrible back in school?"

"Yes," Diana laughed again at Akko's unhesitatingly blunt answer.

"Well, I hope you'll not think too poorly of me. Even back then, I'd have rather seen you succeed than fail."

Akko seemed a bit taken aback, both by her laughter (which she totally did not want to admit was really kind of cute), and the response she gave.

"I'll uh... I'll try and keep that in mind," she mumbled, nibbling on her croissant. "You... you did get me to do my best at the Samhain Festival, I guess," her voice remained quiet as she finished a bite.

"I suppose I did; even ten years later, I still remember that show," Diana mused, smiling warmly at the -to her- distant memory.

"Really? You liked it?" Akko asked, suddenly very curious. Going into that show, she'd been eager to impress Diana with her efforts; afterwards though, it had totally slipped her mind to find out if she'd succeeded.

"Yes, it was a wonderful performance," the older Diana confirmed with a nod, "I thought it was a travesty that you three were disqualified for being unorthodox."

"Hmph, yeah that kinda sucked," Akko agreed, huffing indignantly as she crossed her arms, slumping back into the couch. Fuming for a minute over the memory, she spoke up when a new question entered her mind, "Hey Diana? How'd we uh... get together, anyway?"

Diana's eyes went wide as she briefly choked on a mouthful of fruit she had been in the process of swallowing, putting a hand to her throat as she finally managed to get it down.

"Ah... ah... that's... it's probably best that I don't tell you, like I told you before," she answered, catching her breath. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I... can't really imagine it, y'know? I get a lot can happen in ten years; I've barely even known you for half a year yet. But going from where we are now to... this," she gestured to the well-decorated hotel room they sat in, "it's hard to picture."

Diana nodded along as Akko tried to articulate her thoughts, "I understand. As I've already said, it must be a lot to take in. Still though, I would ask that you... keep an open mind, once you've returned to your own time."

"Why?"

Akko felt a bit unnerved as Diana just stared at her quietly for a good, long while before at last answering her.

"Because I can't... no, I don't _want_ to imagine my life without you in it."

Blinking at first, Akko's face rapidly burned up from the sheer sincerity that Diana spoke with.

"That is... really bold of you to say," she commented, having to look away from Diana's intense gaze.

"Perhaps," Akko felt her cheeks flushing darker still as Diana reached out, cupping her chin in her hand, her thumb gently brushing over her cheek as she got her to look at her again, "but it's the truth."

Akko felt like she was in danger of overheating entirely as Diana leaned in, planting a soft, chaste kiss on her forehead before leaning back away.

"Come on, how about we go for a walk?" she suggested, moving to stand up off the couch.

"S-Sure," Akko nodded her head numbly. She quickly grabbed a glass of ruby-red juice from her tray, knocking back the entire glass to cool off. She barely even noticed how extremely tart it was, standing up stiffly after Diana. "Hey wait, where are we anyway? L-Like I know right now we're in a hotel room or whatever, but where's the hotel?"

"Paris," Diana answered quickly, chuckling amusedly at Akko's brief rambling.

"What?! No way!" Akko exclaimed, immediately turning around, dashing to the nearest window.

Pulling the silken curtains away, she looked out onto the Parisian street, studying the white buildings opposite them. Her eyes rose slowly, searching the skyline for something.

"Aww, I can't see the Eiffel Tower!" she whined.

Diana let out a quiet chuckle, watching her gaze out the window, "our hotel faces away from it."

"E~h? That's no fun," Akko stated, pouting as she turned back towards the older woman, "Oh oh! Can we walk there?!"

"It's a bit far," Diana told her, smiling apologetically at her crestfallen expression, "the Louvre and Notre-Dame are closer though."

"Oh! Like from Hunchback?!"

Diana blinked, smiling a bit wryly, "Yes Akko, like from Hunchback." She wondered if Akko was aware of the book, or even any number of adaptations other than the Disney film.

"Cool! Let's go there then!"

Nodding in agreement, Diana retrieved a pair of coats from a closet by the door, as well as a pair of shoes for herself. She stopped short of pulling out Akko's however, glancing back at the time-displaced teen, particularly her feet.

"I wonder if these will fit you? Think your feet have grown much in a decade?" she mused with a small smirk on her lips.

Akko huffed, frowning as she grabbed the shoes, "I hope so!"

Thankfully, she felt, the shoes her older self had in the closet were too large to be comfortable for a walk. That she evidently wouldn't be quite as short compared to her future wife as she currently was put a bit of a smile on her face.

"Have a wand I could use to conjure a pair of shoes?" she asked Diana.

"I'm not actually sure where... _you_ keep yours. Allow me," she replied, pulling her own wand out of her pocket, creating a pair of perfectly-fit sneakers on Akko's feet.

Thanking her for the shoes, Akko slipped on the nice blue coat that Diana had retrieved from the closet for her, Diana pulling on a similar brown coat. Soon they'd exited the hotel out onto the street, Akko looking around excitedly at her surroundings before noticing Diana gesturing down the street, quickly moving to join her. It was a sunny day for November, if just a bit chilly; perfect weather for a nice walk with their jackets blocking out the slight cold.

"Hey Diana?" Akko spoke up a few minutes after they'd left the hotel, breaking the relative silence they'd been walking in.

"Yes, Akko?"

"Why are we in Paris anyway? Did I interrupt your... my... _our_ honeymoon or somethin'?"

"No need to worry about that; it was years ago already, and we stayed in the mountains," Diana replied after a short giggle.

"Oh. Well, that sounds nice," Akko mused, almost forgetting her initial question, "So why are we in Paris then?"

"Business."

"Oh," Akko was quiet again for a few moments, frowning thoughtfully, "What business would we have in Paris?"

"That would probably be telling too much," Diana answered, earning a frustrated pout from the younger girl walking beside her.

"Fine, be that way. Stupid future-secrets," she muttered to herself, Diana again giggling quietly as she watched her.

Her frustrations were apparently forgotten moments later when the disparate couple reached the end of the street, the previously cramped road opening up into a bridge going across the river. Crossing the street running parallel to the river, Akko immediately rushed to the corner of the bridge, gazing out over the water and buildings to a unique spire towering off in the distance.

"Diana look! It's the Eiffel Tower!" she declared excitedly, jumping against the stone wall of the bridge, pointing to the far-off landmark.

"Yes, it is. You seem quite taken with it; perhaps we could take a taxi over there later, if you'd like?"

"Rea-" Diana blinked in confusion when Akko turned around to face her, her exclamation cut short and the energy disappearing from her face. Now she almost looked like she was... in awe?

It took a moment for her to realize that Akko wasn't looking _at_ her, but _past_ her. Turning around, Diana let out a groan as she recognized what had drawn her attention. Back across the street was a large white building; it's clean, even facade perfect for any number of advertisements. The one which currently dominated it was an almost gaudily colourful poster depicting a very familiar girl, dressed like a noble prince. A close-fitting blue tailcoat with golden trim around the front edges, a bit of skin showing on her upper arms where the short, puffy sleeves were separated from white, arm-length gloves. Their tight fit matched the leg-hugging pants that ended in a pair of almost entirely red boots; just the toe and heel splashed with white. The regal outfit was completed by a belt loosely fixed around her waist, an extravagant red and white cape, and finally caped off by an asymmetrically wide-brimmed white witch's hat. Branded prominently on it' s peak was a four-pointed gold star on a background of red; an obvious and grateful homage to her inspiration.

The princely brunette was posed dramatically on the poster; arms out to her sides, the red field of her cape littered with all manner of animals both mundane and magical. One brilliant red eye was shut, leaving her winking at any viewer of the advertisement, her mouth stretched into a mischievous grin. The words "CIRCUS OF JOY" were written prominently across the bottom in shimmering gold cursive. A few people were milling about underneath the enormous display; children pointing up excitedly, chattering with their parents and each other about the event.

Letting out a deep breath, Diana turned back around to look at Akko, finding her still staring across the street at the image of her future self, mouth now gaping open a bit.

"Akko?" she called, trying to get her attention.

Wide red eyes flicked over to meet Diana's own blue, Akko managing to snap her mouth shut as she looked back at the blonde.

"Hey Diana?"

"...yes, Akko?"

"I think I managed to figure out what my business in Paris is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry that this took so long. I mean, I have no real clue what I'm doing or where I'm really going with this, but even then. Got super busy with work all through April and couldn't find any time to write, but hooray the busy season is over and I was able to use the past week to finish a new chapter! Hopefully people don't hate it. All the more because the first got such a huge response and I cannot thank everyone enough for every single comment.
> 
> Thank you all so very, very much for reading!
> 
> Oh, also polished the first chapter a bit out of habit.


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